What is a DAC?

[Hellbringer3110]

What is a DAC and do I need it if I get an amp

[The Official Czex]

DAC: Digital to Analog Converter.

 

Most amps have a built in DAC (or vice-versa). 

[Guest]

The Audio Board's Frequently Asked Questions

 

If you are playing digital audio, there must be a DAC in the audio chain to convert the digital to analog (that is what DAC stands for, Digital to Analog Converter). Most devices have a DAC built in already so you would not necessarily need to buy one. You may or may not benefit from a DAC; you may or may not need or benefit from an amp. It depends on a lot of things you haven't shared with us.

[Arc_Jester]

Google it, just google it.

[Oshino Shinobu]

It's a Digital to Analogue Converter. It basically converts digital signals that are output by electronic devices like phones and computers into analogue waves that we can perceive as sound. 

 

Any digital device that outputs sound will have a DAC (well, almost all). Whether you need a dedicated one for your AMP will depend on what situation you're using the AMP in. 

[Oshino Shinobu]

Google it, just google it.

Or you can answer their question, like the forum is design for. The LMGTFY attitude is counter-productive and against CoC. 

[Guest]

Or you can answer their question, like the forum is design for. The LMGTFY attitude is counter-productive and against CoC. 

 

Explaining the meaning of an acronym for the twentieth hundredth time is counter-productive. Writing what amounts to a Wikipedia article in every thread gets old.

[Oshino Shinobu]

Explaining the meaning of an acronym for the twentieth is counter-productive. Writing what amounts to a Wikipedia article in every thread gets old.

There were two parts to the question, though, wasn't there? 

 

People also like to get confirmation and explanation from others in simple terms, rather than Wiki articles that can get technical within the first few lines. 

 

Sure, they could Google it, but telling people to Google something, or providing a LMGTFY link isn't going to help at all when you can just answer the question. 

[Arc_Jester]

Or you can answer their question, like the forum is design for. The LMGTFY attitude is counter-productive and against CoC. 

No asking questions that can be answered by the first thing that comes up in google is counter-productive.

[Oshino Shinobu]

No asking questions that can be answered by the first thing that comes up in google is counter-productive.

Do you realise that a lot of the top results for this question are forum posts? Answering questions is exactly what a forum is for. Has it been asked before? Yes, sure. But telling people to Google it is just wasting time. 

[Arc_Jester]

Do you realise that a lot of the top results for this question are forum posts? Answering questions is exactly what a forum is for. Has it been asked before? Yes, sure. But telling people to Google it is just wasting time. 

That's exactly what I'm talking about + there's a perfectly good audio FAQ thread but I guess it doesn't matter now.

[Guest]

There were two parts to the question, though, wasn't there? 

 

People also like to get confirmation and explanation from others in simple terms, rather than Wiki articles that can get technical within the first few lines. 

 

Sure, they could Google it, but telling people to Google something, or providing a LMGTFY link isn't going to help at all when you can just answer the question. 

 

The purpose of LMGTFY is not so much to answer questions as to highlight lack of effort.

 

A forum is a great place to ask new questions or for help with individual circumstances. Coming into a forum to post a whole new "101" type thread (when there is a perfectly good FAQ thread that people can post in) decreases the signal to noise ratio and demonstrates a certain lack of respect.

[Oshino Shinobu]

The purpose of LMGTFY is not so much to answer questions as to highlight lack of effort.

 

A forum is a great place to ask new questions or for help with individual circumstances. Coming into a forum to post a whole new "101" type thread (when there is a perfectly good FAQ thread that people can post in) decreases the signal to noise ratio and demonstrates a certain lack of respect.

That's why they're not allowed on the forums. It's hostile (or comes across as so, even if it's not intended that way). 

 

They don't answer questions, they just tell people "go do it yourself", which doesn't exactly help promote a friendly and helpful community. 

 

Asking this sort of question on a forum often provides more useful information and experience, rather than just a straight definition that doesn't really expand on the question at all. 

[Guest]

That's why they're not allowed on the forums. It's hostile (or comes across as so, even if it's not intended that way). 

 

They don't answer questions, they just tell people "go do it yourself", which doesn't exactly help promote a friendly and helpful community. 

 

Asking this sort of question on a forum often provides more useful information and experience, rather than just a straight definition that doesn't really expand on the question at all. 

 

It really doesn't. We don't need 100 vaguely similar DAC definitions, some (many?) of which will be wrong.

 

That isn't to say that someone who reads a definition and is confused can't post a follow-up question. That would be legitimately useful.

[Glenwing]

Do not answer people's questions by telling them to Google it on this forum again.

 

If you see a common question and don't want to answer it, just ignore it and let someone else answer it. Telling people to use Google as an answer to their question is against forum rules. End of discussion.